Folding hand fan



lswt-21,1948. M. IMPERIAL Y 2,449,701-

FOLDING HAND FAN Filed Feb.. '7, 194e FIG.4.

HIS ATTORNEYQJ Patented Sept. 21, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENToFFicsMichael Imperial, University City, Mo., assignor to Skinner & KennedyStationery Company, StrLouis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri ApplicationFebruary 7, 1946, Serial No. 645,982

1 Claim. (Cl. 230-269) This invention relates to folding hand fans ofthe kind comprising three sector-shaped sections whosesmall ends areconnected in superimposed relation by a common pivot, whereby said fanis opened and closed by relative angular movement of said sections about`said common pivot,

Heretofore, such fans have been made of .substantially identical frontcover and side sections and a smaller rear cover section for the lowerpor# tion only of said fan, with `pictorial illustrations printed on thefront faces of said front cover and side sections and withadvertisingmatter printed on the back face of the rearmost side section between thetop thereof an-d thetop of said smaller rear cover section. This type offoldinghand fan has many disadvantages. The printing ofthe advertisementon the back of one of the movable side sections throws the advertisementoff center when the fan is unfolded, and the space for the printedadvertisement is limited to the portion of said side section not coveredby the small rear cover section when the fan is folded. A mistake inprinting the advertisement results in the loss of the picture sectionand breaks up a set of three such picture sections. The proper sidesection must be selected for printing the advertisement thereon; and thethree picture sections with the advertisement printed on one of the sidesections must be carefully arranged in sets for assembly with thespecially shaped smaller rear cover section. The smaller rear coversection does not strengthen or reinforce the upper portion of the fan orcover the gap formed between the two side sections thereof when the fanis unfolded; and the fan lacks uniform thickness due to said smallerrear cover section, thereby making it Idiflicult to print theadvertising matter on completely assembled fans.

The invention has for its principal object to devise a folding hand fanof the above type which will overcome all of the disadvantageshereinbefore referred to. The invention consists in providing the fanwith a rear cover section of substantially the same size and shape asthe three picture forming sections and in applying the printedadvertising matter to the rear face of this full sized rear coversection; and it also consists in the parts and in the arrangements andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, andwherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a folding hand fan embodying myinvention, the fan being shown folded, j Y n Fig. 2 is an edge view ofthe folded fan, Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section ontheline 3-3 in Fig. l,

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational View of the folded fan; and i n Fig. 5 is aviewsimilar unfolded. n V

My folding hand fan comprises afront cover to Fig. 4 showing the fan lsection A, a rear cover section B, and two side sections C, all ofsubstantially thesame size and shape. Each of these sections preferablycomprises a atlpiece of cardboard with a circular lower handle portion Iand an upwardly daring main body portion 2. The four sector or`fanshaped sections are superimposed one on another with the two sidesections C interposed between the front and rear cover sections A and Brespectively. The lower circular handle portions I of the four fansections are all pivotally secured together by means of a pivot 3 in theform of a hollow rivet located at the center of said circular handleportions, whereby the fan is adapted to be folded into compact form whennot in use by bringing the two pivotal side sections C into registerwith the front cover section A and back cover section B and the fan isunfolded by swinging said side sections on the pivot 3 outwardly awayfrom each other with their outer side edges spaced outwardly from thecorresponding side edges of said cover sections.

As shown in the drawing, the outer side edges of the two side sections Chave outstanding projections 4 to enable said sections to be pulledoutwardly to unfold the fan. Outwardly or unfolding movement of the twoside sections C is limited and relative movement of the two coversections A and B is prevented by means of a hollow rivet 5 which isanchored in said cover sections above the pivot 3 and extends througharcuate slots 5c provided therefor in said side sections, said arcuateslots being disposed concentric with said pivot. A pictorialillustration (not shown) is printed on the front surfaces of the frontcover section A and the two side sections C; and suitable advertisingmatter -6 is printed on the rear face of the rear cover section.

The hereinbefore described folding hand fan construction has numerousimportant advantages. The rear cover section B is substantially of thesame size and shape as the front cover section A and the two sidesections C and serves to strengthen and stiffen the entire fan assemblyand also to cover and protect the entire rear face made and printedentirely independent of thev picture forming front cover section A andside sections C. If a mistake is made in printing" l the advertisement6, only the cheaper rear cover section B need be discarded. The rearcover sections may be printed in advance of the three picture formingsections which may be assembled in sets and the rear cover sectionapplied `thereto any time after they have been printed. In fact,therear. coversection may be printed after the fan is completelyassembled, due to the uniform thicknessprovided over the entire area of.the `fan by the four substantially identical sections thereof. Aplurality of .back cover. advertisements may beprinted on a 'single`sheet-I of cardboard and the printed cardboard die cut to form the.printed back cover sections; and' these printed back cover sections maybe quickly and. easily assembled with the substantially identicallyshaped picture forming sections.

, What Ircla'im is:

i AA, folding lhand. fanA comprising opposed flat frontandback coverlsections and two overlapped flat side sectionsv interposed betweensaidfront and backV cover sections, a. single means `for pivotallyconnecting al1 of said sections together at one end, whereby saidsections are adapted to be swung one over another in their own planesinto substantially fully overlapped relation between said front and backcover sections and are adapted to be swung away from each other (intospacedapart relation sol asto extendzpeyond opposite side edges of saidfront and back cover sections, said back cover section having printed'matter on the back face thereof, and asingle means for permanentlysecuring said opposed front and back cover sections together againstrelative pivotal movement and for preventing said side sections fromswinging entirely clear of said opposite sideedges of said coversections, all ofV said sections being of substantially the same size andshape, whereby said front and back cover sections are adapted to provideat the front and back of the fan substantially complete coverage forsaid side lsections in the fully overlapped position thereof and arealso adapted to provide complete coverage at both the .irontand backofltheifan for the space formed between said side `sections inthespaced. apartposition thereof.

.. JZ'LICIAEIJv IMBERIAL.

REFERENCES CITED "lhez'following references are of record in the le ofVthispatent: v i

' i UNITED sTATEsPATENT's c Date Number yName 1,420,496 (hmv June-20,1922 1,667,606 RomanO a Apr. `24,v 1928

